We Never Met
by fanfictioniwrite
Summary: AU: Piper Chapman never went to prison. That didn't stop her from meeting the magic that is Alex Vause. / Vauseman, Nickorello
1. Two Strangers Meet at a Bar

**We Never Met  
**

 **Summary:** Piper Chapman never went to the bar where she met Alex. She never smuggled drugs across Europe, nor did she think about females. No, she was straight, rational and most importantly _innocent_ Piper all her life. She never met Alex Vausse and never fell in love. End game Vausseman

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Orange Is the New Black

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Two Strangers Meet at a Bar**

That evening, when Piper was supposed to go out, find some bar and quite possibly get wasted because life is short and you have to enjoy yourself, she instead decides to stay at home and watch cheesy romantic comedies on cable. Something tells her that's stupid, that she's missing out on life, wasting her limited time but she silences those thoughts and tells herself that kind of life isn't for her.

She's no party girl after all, no wild cart and it's much better to stay at home, snuggled under her favourite blanked and watch movies about characters doing things she knows she never will but sometimes wishes she did.

xxx

Alex Vausse scans through the bar that night, searching for some nice girl to take home with her. Well, not home per se, more like the cheap apartment she has rented for the time being. She's never really had a home, not in the real sense of the word. If a psychologist were able to read her thoughts, they would surely tell her she has problems with commitment, that she doesn't know what she wants from life or she doesn't want to admit it.

That's not true, Alex knows exactly what she wants. That, being put in simple words, is to have fun, nothing more and nothing less.

Mindless, crazy fun with whoever's offering. She tells herself this is all there is to life – you have a good time for as long as you can, then you die and it's the end. There's nothing melodramatic, philosophic or tragic about it, it's just the way life is made to work. No point in wondering why it is like this.

She spots a girl - long blonde hair, pretty smile and spindly legs. Alex doesn't need much else and so decides to go for it, knowing there's nothing to lose really.

"Hey!" she greets in the stranger with a skilled smirk, one she knows others can't resist. The stranger turns around to face her and her pale blue eyes go straight to Alex's ample cleavage in a not so sophisticated kind of way.

"Hey, I'm Marie!" the girl, no more than eighteen, responds and judging by her slurred words which are soaked in Southern accent the brunette can tell right away she is already tipsy.

Alex thinks how this is low and she should probably just walk away and maybe even spend the night alone, cuddled on the couch and watching cheap cable TV. But the idea of being alone doesn't quite sit with her, it gives her some weird feeling she can't quite place. Either way, she's sure of one thing – she doesn't want to be alone.

"Rose." she says with a trained smile that speaks of all the lust in the world and none of the warmth. There is no need of giving the stranger her real name since it's not like they would spent any time getting to know each other.

One night is all they have.

After half an hour of chitchat and one too many shots, they are heading to the place she is staying at and Marta (that was her name right?) is leaning heavily on her. Without intending to, Alex catches the faint smell of her perfume. She breathes in the sweet aroma and catches the street lights reflect in the light locks of the stranger.

This is wrong, Alex thinks. Mary (or whatever) isn't hers. She probably belongs to someone else, some lonely girl or guy or maybe she doesn't belong to anyone, yet. Maybe Mary is set out to meet someone in this particular moment and she can't because she's currently resting her head on Alex's shoulder as they wait for a cab.

"Maybe you should go home." the brunette blurts out in the end and the other cocks an eyebrow, curiosity flashing through her empty eyes for a portion of a second. Then it's gone, replaced with cold cynicism.

"Maybe you should talk less." she responds, voice a little harsh but still playful, and leans in for a kiss.

It's a great, passionate kiss that leaves Alex breathless and makes her want more, even if it is completely void of any emotion behind it.

In a matter of a few brief moments with their lips locked together, all the second thoughts are thrown out of the window as she slides a hand under Maria's short skirt, making the other moan instantly.

Her hand explores the smooth skin of her thigh and traces the outline of her lacey underwear as the other closes her eyes and more moans escape her parted lips.

The cab driver hears a lot more than directions that night and they barely make it to Alex's place.

The next day M (Alex only remembers the first letter of her name) is gone but there is a smile on the brunette's face.

This is the life and she has no regrets, or at least until it's cold and dark outside and it's for her to make a new search for someone to keep her warm.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey! The story is going to be a multichapter, following Alex and Piper's lives if they'd never met. BUT Vaussman will be end game, you can stick around to the end to see how.

Please excuse any grammar mistakes and misplaced words, English is not my mother tongue.

If you enjoy the story and want it to be continued, review and tell me your thoughts! Feedback is a huge motivation for me!


	2. Wine and Cigarettes

**We Never Met**

 **Summary:** Piper Chapman never went to the bar where she met Alex. She never smuggled drugs across Europe, nor did she think about females. No, she was straight, rational and most importantly _innocent_ Piper all her life. She never met Alex Vausse and never fell in love. End game Vausseman

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Orange Is the New Black

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Wine and Cigarettes**

Piper meets Larry and they automatically click, talking about everything and nothing in particular. They go out on cliché dates and visit expensive restaurants and she shaves her legs for him and wears tight uncomfortable dresses and push up bras.

And really, that's what love is in the modern world.

"Larry is great for you, I'm sure you two will be very happy." Polly assures her almost daily when she tells her about him over lunch or when they stalk him on Facebook while they enjoy Vanilla Lates in Starbucks.

xxx

"I'm so proud of you Piper!" her mother tells her when she goes on a visit, in between criticizing her outfit and brushing her hair, almost as if she is thirteen again.

"Finding a nice boy like Larry, you've made our dreams come true!" she declares, patting her on the head and Piper feels as if she's a dog getting a treat instead of a real human being.

But she forces a smile that seems to fool everyone around and for a few fleeting moments herself as well.

"Yes…Larry is a dream come true." She concludes and maybe, just maybe if she keeps repeating those rehearsed words they'll become true one day.

xxx

"What did you think about the movie?" Larry asks in his usual sweet voice, his hand wrapping around her wrist and pulling her closer.

"It was great." she says and really it was – yet another blockbuster she'll forget in forty minutes time but still enjoyable. For whatever reason, she believes that's a pretty good metaphor for their relationship as well.

"I really liked that part when-" her boyfriend rambles on and on and absentmindedly she remarks to herself how he never really stops talking yet at the same time he never says anything.

Larry is fun and nice and the sex is good but none of it feels real. It lacks depth, emotion, it lacks that bittersweet feeling she's read about in romantic novels and watched unfold in the complex plots of good old movies.

 _Because really Larry is nothing more than a summer blockbuster._

"What's wrong?" he asks her, voice filled with empty concern.

His words make her break away from her thoughts and she looks at him, his big kind brown eyes and his boyish smile. Really, Larry deserves to be loved, deserves to have something real and interesting and special and somewhere at the back of her mind she regrets she can never give him that.

But then again she can't leave him because being alone in this mad, superficial and empty world is terrifying and Larry is so much better than spending her nights alone wrapped in a blanket with her mother on the phone.

"Nothing." She states with a skillful smile, before stepping in closer to him and locking their lips together.

Larry tastes like beer and popcorn while she wants wine and cigarettes.

xxx

Every night is a different adventure for Alex, a different girl.

It's Michel in France, Lola in Spain, Ingrid in Germany, Maria in Slovakia and Nikoleta in Greece.

Alex really doesn't want to remember their names but somehow they get stuck with her and every morning the list becomes longer and she feels emptier. It's not that she doesn't enjoy sex – because she does, it's one of her favourite things in the world and she's not one bit ashamed of it. But there's this lingering feeling, at the back of her mind telling her it is no longer enough and maybe it never was.

All these girls scream her name (or at least the fake name she has chosen to use at that time) and moan and talk seductively in languages, which she can't understand and really she has no idea what they're saying. For all she knows they might be swearing.

At first it doesn't bother her, this feeling of being empty, feeling like a lost puppy because she's used to it. After all it's not like she has ever had the big house and white picked fantasy going on for her. But then the feeling gets too much and she becomes tired, exhausted even.

The beautiful bodies she looks at and touches and explores no longer bring her the pleasure they used to because she knows after a few hours she'll be gone, sneaking out with her shoes in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

And somewhere along the road, she realizes that is no longer what she wants.

"Well, you look sad." a rough voice, soaked in foreign accent, interrupts her thoughts and she turns around to meet Kubra's stare and a familiar lop-sided smile.

She's currently standing at the balcony of some tall, luxurious building Balik has an apartment in (where doesn't he have an apartment). Before her eyes is the panoramic view of Istanbul and it is breathtakingly beautiful and she should be feeling on top of the world.

Except she isn't. She feels numb and no matter how hard she tries she can't appreciate even an ounce of the beauty that is laid before her eyes. The sky, which is painted in red and gold by the sunset seems somehow sad and melancholic. The last sunrays remind her of how time passes by you and no matter how hard you try you can't make it slow down, you can't force it to wait for you.

She wonders do other people who look up to the same sky see the same things? Probably not. Of course not.

"Hey, Earth to Alex!" Kubra jokes, waving a tan hand before her eyes and the trick seems to work, making her snap back to reality.

"Sorry, Balik. I just…I was thinking about something." she mumbles, flashing him a pearly smile which doesn't reach her eyes.

"You, westerns, you always complicate things." the other grumbles but she knows he's joking around, obviously in a good mood. – "Can't you enjoy a good sunset? Cause, if you can't, there must be something wrong with you." the man concludes, drawing smoke from his cigarette.

He offers her one too and she accepts, her hand stretching out without her even thinking about it.

She inhales the smoke and coughs lightly.

"No filter." she points out, raising an eyebrow, "I'm impressed, you know."

"You're always impressed by the wrong things." the other snickers and for some reason the words resonate with her.

"You have no idea how right you are." she responds slowly, voice more hollow and more serious than she intended. Kubra gives her a confused look because surely he hadn't meant for his remark to be taken seriously.

Alex breaks into a very forced laugh and it sounds fake even to her own ears but she hopes the other would play along for her, would pretend he doesn't notice there's something wrong.

He doesn't and she can read something in his dark eyes, some empathy which is the last thing she would expect from the leader of an international drug cartel. Then again, he too is human and she has never been one to judge too harsh, perhaps because she thinks she has no right to.

"Are you happy, Balik?" Alex asks in a small voice before she can stop herself. The question seems to catch him completely off guard and for a second he just stares at her, rendered speechless. There's some lost look to his eyes and he doesn't quite manage to hide it fast it enough.

"It's funny cause this is the most important question we should be asking ourselves." she continues and once again lets out a small laugh, " _Are you happy?_ But…alas, we never ask."

Time seems to pass and they both remain silent and she can see the sky starting to darken and the air becoming a bit cooler, even though it still feels too hot.

"I am not unhappy." Kubra says finally and his tone is flat and empty, nothing like the one he uses when he gives order to his subordinates left and right.

"My dad…he owns a small coffee shop." he starts and Alex cocks an eyebrow, unsure how that follows his previous statement. Still she doesn't interrupt, interested in what he has to say.

"I grew up dirt poor, you know. Six kids and hardly any money but…" the Turk inhales sharply, his eyes set on something far away, something she can't see, "I was happy back then."

"Any my dad…" Balik's voice is now softer, almost gentle as he closes his eyes and submerges into memories of times long gone,"You should see how he looks at my mother. What respect, what love even after all those years. Sometimes I wonder – isn't this what we all want in the end of the day?"

Alex can feel her throat tighten and her eyes start to water, vision blurring slightly. That's something she hasn't done in a long time, seeing no point in it.

Next thing she knows, Kubra's hands are on her waist, travelling up, face too close. She can feel his warm breath, smelling of cigarettes and hot Turkish coffee, on her features and she struggles not to give in. She knows why he's doing this – he's lonely and empty and wants to forget about it for a few brief moments of pleasure. Alex wants it too and when he kisses her she doesn't respond but she doesn't pull off right away either, doesn't stop him.

In the end thought she does, giving him a small, sad smile.

"I only like girls. I'm sorry." she says but Kubra doesn't turn and walk right away and there're some small part of her that is glad he doesn't.

"I know. I'm sorry too." he admits at last and sits on the terracotta floor with a sigh.

"Go find yourself some pretty girl then, Vausse." the man says in the end, trying to insert some humor into the situation, go back to their usual dynamics which are always light-hearted and simple.

Simple. Alex likes simple. Except at one point it has become boring and distasteful.

"You too, Kubra." Alex responds, lips curving into a smile purely out of habit.

xxx

That night she has sex with a gorgeous woman named Shirin and she is beautiful and Alex wants that feeling of pure ecstasy to last forever. At the same time she knows it won't and there's something rushed, something greedy in her actions when she's with the other woman.

She gasps and moans and pulls the other closer to herself, as if she wants to melt into her but there's no meaning behind her actions. It's just a mixture of lust and desperation and some need for distraction.

Alex screams that night in pleasure but in the morning her mouth feels dry and she remains silent as the watches the sun rise, bathing her hotel room in gentle light.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for reviewing: alvause, izzielg

If you like the story, please let me know, it's a huge source of motivation if I know someone enjoys it.

Have a lovely day!


	3. Locked Behind Bars

**We Never Met**

 **Summary:** Piper Chapman never went to the bar where she met Alex. She never smuggled drugs across Europe, nor did she think about females. No, she was straight, rational and most importantly _innocent_ Piper all her life. She never met Alex Vause and never fell in love. End game Vauseman

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Orange Is the New Black

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Locked Behind Bars  
**

Every girl's favourite day has finally come for Piper.

She glances at the expensive mirror before her, her own unemotional reflection meeting her pale blue eyes. Her hair is put into an elaborate do her mother chose for her and she's wearing more makeup than she will for the rest of her life combined. And everything is so carefully made, so intricate and expensive, so special.

Yet, she feels nothing special at all.

Sure, it is supposed to be special, having in mind the expensive white dress she has trouble walking in, the guest list which seems like a mile long and the excitement written on everyone's face but her own.

She forces herself to be happy because really she should be and manages to fake the feeling when she's with others who gush over how pretty she is and how they'll make the best family in the world. Problems start once she is alone.

"You look so beautiful!" Polly assures her for perhaps the hundredth time, 'You and Larry are going to be so happy!" she continues on and on and Piper notices the tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

For whatever reason there's sadness, disappointment even in her friend's voice no matter how hard she's trying to hide it. Perhaps she isn't the only one who's faking happiness that day.

"Just like you and Pete are happy, right?" Piper asks in a small voice, trying to read the expression on the other's face. She wonders – when did she stop being able to understand her best friend, when did they grow so far apart when they're together almost every day?

Polly sniffles and brushes away a runaway tear, smearing mascara in the process.

"Just like me and Pete." she says, voice breaking at the end.

"Now come on, it's time for last minute preparations!" Polly insists, trying to force as much enthusiasm as she can into the words, "Today's the best day of your life."

"Sure." Piper mumbles under her breath before she can stop herself. Luckily, the other pretends not to hear her and busies herself with adjusting her veil properly.

Two hours later, Piper Chapman is a married woman and she tries to relinquish in the fact, tries to assure herself that this was the right step for her and Larry, the logical continuation of their supposedly epic romance.

But it's not, there is nothing epic about it, it all feels mediocre, like a cheaply made ad on TV with bright lights and fake smiles but no emotion behind it.

xxx

After living on the edge for years and exploring the taste of a life of crime, sex and pleasure, Alex ends up in prison.

Really isn't all that surprising, she contemplates as she puts on the orange clothes, the bright colour starkly contrasting against the grey walls which have become her new home.

She takes a deep breath as she recalls how it happened. One of Kubra's infamous operations has gone wrong, police barges in and before she knows it she can feel the cold, binding metal of the handcuffs around her wrists.

Somewhere at the back of her mind she'd always thought about getting caught so once she's behind bars, she can't say she's surprised or disappointed. Really, she can't say she feels anything at all.

In an odd way jail feels like home – a very crappy, cold and sometimes smelly home with crazy people, fights and perverted prison guards but a home nonetheless. She makes friends, a curly haired woman named Nicky who's helplessly in love with her best friend, namely Lorna. And there's an eccentric Russian lady who has the craziest definition of a family, a strange weirdo with horrible teeth, and many more interesting people whom she over time learns to enjoy spending time with.

It's not as bad as people make it out to be and once she gets used to no alcohol and crappy cigarettes, it can be called fine on the good days.

xxx

"You up for some action, pretty eyes?" Nicki asks, raising a devious eyebrow at her and offering a playful smirk during one of the seemingly endless quiet afternoons in the library.

"Won't Lorna be mad?"

"Nah, she doesn't care. Says it's not cheating since I'm not the love of her life..." Nicky's bottom lips quivers, voice flat and hollow and she sounds so loyal, so desperate to love someone, it almost breaks Alex's heart.

"You really love her, don't you?" she asks, dropping the book she'd ben skimming over for the past half an hour and realizing she doesn't remember a word of it.

The curly-haired woman hesitates, looking away, her gaze estranged, almost as if it's set on something far away that Alex can't see. A few minutes pass and they seem to stretch into eternity which is nothing new really, time does pass in a different way in prison.

"Doesn't seem to change anything," she whispers in the end with a smile that speaks of surrender.

Alex looks at her straight in the eye, admiring the deep, intense brown colour. She doesn't love Nicky and the other doesn't love her but they are lonely and sad and in fucking jail, so they might as well try to forget about everything for half an hour.

The brunette leans in, sealing her lips with the other. Nicky responds eagerly, her lips smooth, her breath smelling of whatever Eastern European dish Red has cooked up that day.

She pulls away for a brief second, offering Alex a smile, "The two of us – we could work really well."

Vause smiles back, almost by instinct, "We could," she agrees, her pale hands around the other's waist and travelling up, under the grey T-shirt.

Nicky moans when her skilled fingers caress her breasts and for a second there Alex feels as if she's thirteen again, the first time she'd touched a girl for more than just a friendly hug in the lockers after playing basketball.

"You're good." the other woman states and she smirks at her.

"I know."

xxx

Sex becomes a routine for Alex and Nicky, something they're both good at, something fun and easy, something colourful between the black bars of prison.

At first the brunette is somewhat worried about Lorna's reaction but the short girl with a pretty face and the brightest lipstick she's ever seen just gives her a warm smile and waves it off.

"I just want Nicky to be happy." She explains, in between fixing her glossy brown hair with her skilled hands.

"The only way for her to be happy is with you." Alex says, words slipping from her lips before her brain has fully processed them.

Lorna freezes upon hearing the words and almost drops the bobby pin she'd been holding. She hesitates to say something, give an explanation, make up an excuse as to why she can't love the other but she doesn't come up with anything.

In the end, the mask is back on and she just sends a reassuring smile to her, "Give yourself more credit, Vause. I'm sure you can make someone happy.".

Alex forces a smile but mentally scoffs at the idea. The prospect of finding love has become obscure and unrealistic to her much like freedom does in prison. It seems strange, wrong to even think about it.

And so, when her face's between Nicky's thighs and she's moaning in pleasure she feels somewhat happy. It's a strange kind of happy, not the real deal, but something close to it. There's no emotion behind the moans but that doesn't take away from the ecstasy.

At very least, as Alex reminiscent, this way she doesn't feel completely empty all the time.

xxx

Married life with Larry proves to be okay. After the wedding nothing changes and they continue just like before. They go on dates where they watch silly blockbusters and listen to cheesy pop songs, trying to find meaning behind lyrics where there is none.

The years pass quickly and Piper can't really remember much of them. They go to work, they go on dates, they go back home and eat Chinese food. The most interesting thing that happens are the cliffhangers of the TV shows they watch in bed.

On weekends they have barbeque with Polly and Pete and their adorable two children as they assure themselves that they are livign the American Dream. Then again Piper leisurely wonders - who the hell defined this dream and does it really apply to everyone?

But such questions are dangerous as they lead to places she hasn't dared explored and has no intetion to. So she steals a glance at her best friend as she munches on whatever vegeterian dish she has prepaped because that is the new "it" thing.

Polly looks bored, taking care of children having become a routine for her. She assures Piper motherhood is great, that it is the best thing in the world but the words sound empty and rehearsed, almost as if she's trying to convince herself in the first place.

"Are you happy?" Piper asks on one warm and seemingly endless Sunday evening, words slipping from her mouth before her brain can register them.

Polly pauses, the question catching her off guard. For a second or so she seems unsure of the answer and her face looks wary, like she's tired but not because of the house work done. It looks as if she's tired, tired of Pete and changing diapers and tired of stereotypical barbecues in the suburbs.

"Of course I am." She responds after a pause that stretches on longer than necessary, the same mechanical smile having returned to her pale face.

They stand in the warm silence of August, the only sounds that can be heard are from the TV inside, where Pete and Larry are watching some sport event that neither of them really cares about.

"Why, aren't you?" Polly asks in the end and Piper can read some long forgotten friendly concern in her intelligent eyes. She wonders when did they stop being friends? When did they suddenly forget each other when they meet every Sunday and Wednesday for brunch?

"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?" she mirrors the answer, forcing a trained smile of her own.

And really she has to ask – why wouldn't she be?

Life with Larry is easy and rehearsed, she plays the role society and her parents and even she herself has picked up and Larry plays his and it's all good. It's _good_ but it's not great and she feels as though she has settled for normal when she never wanted normal in the first place.

As ungrateful and horrible as it sounds, marriage, one of the most desired things on Earth, seems like prison. It feels as if she's locked behind bars in the suburban prison of the so called American dream.

It's strange, she feels a want, a need to go to places she's never been and love someone she's never met.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey! First of all thanks for the reviews:

 _Guest, JessTerr, Guest, mintgreenclarity, prooffice, WB79, izzielg_

Your comments served as a great inspiration!

To answer some of your questions, yes there will be Vausseman absolutely! :) The idea of my story is to explore a what/if scenario of what their lives would have been if they never met. But of course I caved in and decided that it'll be more interesting if they did meet and hit it off in the end.

By the way what are your views on the American dream and do you think Piper would be happy living it, with Larry nontheless? I would love to hear your opinion!

So next time – Alex and Piper finally meet but in a different way than in the show!

Please review and tell me your thoughts about the chapter!


	4. Of Goodbyes and New Beginnings

**We Never Met**

 **Summary:** Piper Chapman never went to the bar where she met Alex. She never smuggled drugs across Europe, nor did she think about females. No, she was straight, rational and most importantly _innocent_ Piper all her life. She never met Alex Vausse and never fell in love. Vausseman

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Orange Is the New Black

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Of Goodbyes and New Beginnings**

The years pass quickly without much happening and when Piper looks back she can't say she remembers anything apart from the routine. Days have seemingly become glued together and mashed into an enormous grey blob and she can't find the beginning of one and the end of another.

And then one day something finally happens.

When she comes back form work a little early only to find the front door open, she doesn't say anything, merely raises a blonde eyebrow and shuts the door behind discretely, almost as if it's not her own home she's walking into.

And when she goes up the stairs under the noises of someone moaning and panting and saying her husband's name with more passion than she ever has, she's not shocked or surprised or terrified.

Even when she sees her best friend, tangled between the sheets with her husband she is not, and there is nothing but a lifeless expression painted over her pale face.

"Piper!" Larry and Polly cry out in unison and she wonders – why hasn't she noticed any of this earlier?

Then again, somewhere at the back of her mind, she knows she has, she just didn't care enough to speak her voice.

A plethora of excuses follows, running along the lines of "I am so, so, so sorry" and "We shouldn't have done this" and "It won't happen again".

And she just cocks and eyebrow at them, "It will," she answers with a tight lipped smile, "And it should."

The two lovers stare at her in amazement, mouths agape, as if they are teenagers who've been caught having sex in the lockers by the P.E teacher as he's suddenly letting them get away with it.

"You two are in love," she points out the obvious, as countless flashbacks run through her mind, as small pieces of the puzzle suddenly click together and reveal the bigger picture.

"Me and Pete would be fools to stay with you." Piper admits with a mirthless chuckle and the words fall flat on the bed, between them.

She tries to meet Polly's gaze but the brunette just clings on to the off white sheet, wrapped around her chest in a vain attempt to save whatever dignity they have left. Larry opens his mouth to say something but no words come out. And really – what is there left to say?

Piper has to wonder – when did her husband become someone she doesn't have anything to say to and her best friend a stranger?

And why on Earth doesn't she feel anything? There should be anger and angst and strangled shouts and her getting drunk in the bathroom while listening to empty pop songs about noisy break up. But none of that happens and she vaguely realizes she can't be sad about losing something she's never had.

"I want a divorce." she declares after a few tense minutes of silence and to her amazement she doesn't feel sadness or anger upon uttering those words, just a tiny bit of betrayal.

xxx

"I expected you to be angrier." Larry admits over dinner a couple of weeks later. It's their last dinner together, a reminder of times long gone.

Over the other end of the table, the whiteness of the divorce papers contrasts starkly against the colourful tablecloth.

"So did I," Piper responds with a nonchalant shrug as she stabs a potato and throws it in her mouth.

"I am so sorry I hurt you," the man mutters but his words echo against the now empty house (they're selling it as it holds the distant promise of memories better left forgotten).

The silence between them stretches and falls over them like thick gray blanket, dulling all the colour in the room.

"I'm sorry I never loved you the way I should have," the blonde admits in the end after what feels like an eternity of them standing there like complete strangers, but is in reality little more than a few minutes.

And the words sound cliché and cheesy, almost as if they are part of a badly written drama airing on Netflix.

It's the series finale, the one where the characters bid their final goodbyes and part ways. Only thing is, Piper is really hoping for a spin off.

xxx

Alex hates saying goodbye. (Mostly because until today she hasn't had anything all that good to say goodbye to).

She's not made for this, the hugs and tears and the entire emotional spectre that farewells embody. It's hard enough to deal with the hypocrisy of the people who only pretend to miss you once they know you'll be gone, but what is even worse is when they're sincere.

Still, Nicky insists, with an adorable pout that reminds her of a three year old and the most heart-warming puppy eyes, that she absolutely should have a goodbye-party.

"Think of it as your prom before heading off to college!" the curly-haired girl jokes and Alex muses how Nicky's unique brand of humour is going to be number one in the list of things she'll miss about prison. (That would be one very short list).

"I never had a prom, nor did I go to college." The noirette admits to which Nicky replies with a "Well, you know what they say, it's never too late or…something like that."

In the end Alex reluctantly nods, agreeing to the damn party because one does not simply say no to Nicky.

xxx

And so, here they are, gathered in a circle and having a rather lousy attempt of a party. There's no alcohol and no cigarettes and from time to time a guard sends a mean glance in their direction to which Red responds with a terrifying death glare.

"We're going to miss you so much." Lorna chirps, expressive brown eyes already starting to water.

"You're such a crybaby!" Nicky rolls her eyes, nudging her best friend (and newly found lover as of recent), in the ribs.

"Mmm, but you still love me, don't you?" the petite girl teases, tip toeing before locking their lips together.

"Aw." Pennasatucky coos from across the room, apparently having outlived her homophobia.

Alex can't help the small smile as she watches Nicky and Lorna. Although the Italian-American was stubborn in admitting her feelings (and that is putting in very mildly), in the end she'd drunkenly confessed her love. As it turned out Nicky's little affair with Alex did have the needed effect and was the catalyst to her jealousy and confession.

It all worked for the best and now that Vause is leaving she can do nothing but wish them the best and hope she finds something half as good as what they have in the outside world.

"Didn't get to know you too well Vause, but I'll still miss you." Red admits, patting her on shoulder to which Alex responds with a respectful nod, the Russian was after all the best mother Nichols had.

"Take care of them." She says, looking in the direction of the Nicky and Lorna although she already knows the other will.

"Do you doubt me Vause?" the older woman questions, thick foreign accent evident behind her words.

"No, of course not." Alex shakes her head.

"Go get them, girl!" Pennasatucky urges, giving her an awkward fist bump to which Vause shakes her head. In a strange way she's become attached to the shorter woman.

"And," the hillbilly adds, "Don't forget to eat all the candy for me, like you promised."

Alex, as well as the rest of the room burst into laughter.

"Sorry we didn't get you a present." Lorna muses, voice gentle and quiet.

"Yeah, you know how the new guards are." Nicky snorts.

"Contraband isn't what it used to be." Red shakes her head.

Alex scoffs, "I don't need a present, guys."

"Ooh, are we already a gift enough?" Nicky teases, voice mockingly sweet as she sends her a huge grin.

Vause rolls her eyes and muses how this is the last time they're doing this, joking around, acting like a crazy, dysfunctional family of felons. It makes her feel light headed for a split second and some feeling of melancholy settles over the room.

"I was just going to say, thanks for everything." She admits, surprising even herself at her newfound ability to express emotion.

Maybe, prison has taught her something after all.

"Oh, thank you too." Lorna says, tears already streaming down her pale face, ruining her mascara in the process, "Seriously, if it weren't for you Nicky and I wouldn't be together."

Alex chuckles at that, shaking her head, "Nah, I'm sure you'd find your way. People in love always find the way to each other and all that romantic bullshit."

Nicky sends her a look that reads of gratitude, "Group hug?"

"Group hug."

They embrace and Alex feels silly for crying over _leaving_ prison but then again strangely enough, she's found family there and for the first time in her life saying goodbye makes sense.

Because before there was nothing worth saying goodbye to.

"If you end up here again, I'll kick your ass myself." Red threatens as she bids a final goodbye and the younger woman realizes that is no empty threat.

"Nah, I promise I'm not coming back." Alex reassures.

"Good."

"I'll miss you soo much!" Lorna all but wails against her shoulder.

"I'll miss you too." She responds, "I mean come on – when will I ever see someone with such a pretty red lipstick?"

The joke is lame but it still manages to make the other chuckle and the tension in the room dissipates, replaced with light-hearted banter once again.

"Careful there, Vause," Nicky jokes, feigning jealousy, "You do not want to mess with my girl or you'll have trouble with me."

As Lorna and Red exit it's just the two of them and the guard shouts, "One minute!"

"I'll come for visits." Alex promises.

"Nah, go out there, live your life!" the shorter woman urges, "I already have everything I need here." She adds with a small that brightens her pale face smile and a glance in the direction of her lover.

Vause mimics the gesture, she knows perfectly well what the other's talking about. She feels happy for the other, everyone deserves a little spot of sunshine, especially behind the lifeless gray walls of prison.

"Thank you for everything." Nicky repeats, voice uncharacteristically serious.

"Don't go all mushy on me, Nichols!" Alex warns, raising a slender finger as she imitates the other.

"Hey, that's my line!" the curly haired woman protests with a trademark childish pout.

"And thank you." The noirette admits, holding the other's gaze. She takes one last appreciating glance in the depths of the beautiful brown irises, trying to seal the expression behind them in her mind and go back to look at it later.

"For what?"

"Being my friend," Alex begins with a small sigh, "I was starting to give up on life before I came here."

"You're trying to tell me you found hope in prison?" Nicky challenges, cocking an eyebrow in skepticism, "Like that movie uh what was it…something about Redemption?"

"Yeah, strangely enough," Vause begins, "And all thanks to you."

"Well, I am pretty damn awesome." Nichols chuckles and Vause tries to remember every second of it.

Alex pulls her into a hug, surprising both herself and the other inmate as she relishes in the warmth of human contact. She can only hope she finds friends half as good as her in the outside world.

"Go find yourself some pretty girl, Vause." Nicky whispers in her ear under the scrutiny of the fast approaching guard and the words sound oddly familiar but the context is entirely different.

"If Lorna and I worked out, you're bound to find someone."

Alex nods at her words and for the first time in her life she lets herself hope for more than a one-night stand, even if the possibility of being in love is foreign and somewhat terrifying .

"Thanks." She responds back, unable to think of anything better but then again they don't need fancy words as they've said everything there is to be said during the seemingly endless days at Litchfield.

"That one minute passed a long ass time ago!" the guard grumbles and with that the cell opens and Alex leaves, mere steps away from freedom.

"Send me a postcard!" Nicky shouts from inside the cell and Vause can't help but break into laughter.

Maybe goodbye aren't that bad.

What is even better – they lead to new beginnings.

xxx

When Alex gets out of prison, after taking the deal to testify against the infamous Kubra, she doesn't know what to do.

Freedom seems like an illusion, as addictive as it is, after spending this much time behind locks. The fear of Kubra and the rest catching up with her is the only thing she feels for a while. The happiness she knows she's supposed to experience never comes and she realizes there is no point of getting out of prison if no one's waiting you outside.

Still, she tries to be normal and fit in and hope she doesn't end up homeless after a few months and committing a crime just for the sake of returning back to the place she has just escaped.

There aren't many jobs for ex-convicts but somehow she still lands one, in a bar, oddly similar to the one she once went to, years ago.

It's not the most glamorous or exciting job in the world but then again Alex can't be all that picky.

She tries to focus on the positives such as the fact that plenty of pretty women visit the bar.

A petite blonde walks in one night, clutching to her bag as if she is about to be robbed. Vause smirks, she's definitely not someone who's used to going to bars. Still, the girl is hot and Alex certainly does not want to treat a customer badly.

"Hi! What may I offer?" she says with a trained smirk, eyes locking with the other.

The girl smiles in return, interest peeking through sky blue irises, and Alex feels alive for the first time in years.

Maybe it is the beginning of a nice story afterall.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I am so sorry I missed an update last week but I had three exams, a presentation and what not at uni! However, now that I'm almost done with my school year, I will update more often.

And I hope this longer chapter is somewhat of a compensation, haha.

I want to thank: VonZeppy, Guest, Golive, Guest, mintgreenclarity, izzielg, prooffice for your feedback! Your support is really appreciated and I'm grateful to your for reading and sharing your thoughts on this story!

Did you enjoy the impromptu farewell party for Alex? I just adore Nichols and Vause together (I'm still pissed of most of S3 lacked Nicky, hopes she comes back!). I simply can't get enough of their friendship!

We got a glimpse of Alex and Piper meeting but I do think of adding one or two more chapters and exploring a little bit of their relationship – what do you guys think?

Thanks for reading and please review!


	5. Synonymous with Freedom

**Chapter 5: Synonymous with Freedom  
**

 **Summary:** Piper Chapman never went to the bar where she met Alex. She never smuggled drugs across Europe, nor did she think about females. No, she was straight, rational and most importantly _innocent_ Piper all her life. She never met Alex Vausse and never fell in love. Vausseman

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Orange Is the New Black

* * *

After the divorce papers are signed, Piper doesn't know what to do with herself or her time. She supposes it's easier for Larry who moves in with Polly three days later and acts as a father figure the way he was always meant to, quickly starting to follow the white-picket fence scenario that she could never really get herself into.

For her things are different, she is alone and she doesn't know what to do. All her life she has followed instructions and people, she has coloured carefully between the lines all in the name of praise. Right now there are no lines, no people to follow and she feels more than a little lost.

Her parents are outraged and call at least five times a day, coming up with a million different ways of saying: "We're so disappointed," while her brother, as supportive as he is, has little advice to offer.

In the end Piper does the one thing she does best, she runs.

She packages clothes and make up and books and whatever remains she wants from her past life into heavy dark blue bags and settles for a tiny, dusty apartment in the city.

xxx

Living on your own comes with many disadvantages such as having to fight the spiders by yourself, wondering if the neighbours are secret porn actors or just have an abnormal sex drive (in three in the morning). The most serious disadvantage however is the underlining feeling of loneliness that seems to decorate every inch of her new apartment.

xxx

"Well, I mean yeah, it fucking sucks that you're on your own," her brother begins one evening when he has come for a visit, "but I mean, look on the bright side!"

"What is the bright side?" Piper mumbles, words slightly muffled as her head is in her hands.

"Umm…" Cal struggles when he sees an abnormally large black spider crawling on the wall opposite him and very pointedly decides to ignore it (because gender stereotypes about men being brave – be damned).

Silence falls between them and stretches while Cal tries and fails to come up with some sort of silver lining.

"Well, at the very least, you are free." He says in the end and the words catch her attention as cliché as they are, almost making her drop the spoon she's been holding while eating ice cream. (because apparently there is no better way to state you're depressed than eating strawberry ice cream in your pajamas all weekend).

 _"You're free."_

Cal's words echo in the small, dusty room and give some sort of meaning to the quiet, uneventful evening in late September.

"I am free," Piper points out with a small smile and a quiet laughter that makes Cal question her sanity for a few brief seconds.

"Huh," the blonde chuckles, in between stuffing her mouth with a rather large spoon of ice cream and contemplating her life from an entirely new perspective, "I am finally free." she muses although she still isn't all too certain what freedom really is, having never experience it before.

xxx

The months crawl by and Piper learns the meaning of freedom and how even though it's not always pretty, it is thousand times better than the routine and monotony that her life with Larry was synonymous with.

Freedom offers much needed clarity and honesty and once she's rid of the lies that she's built her image upon she's ready to really stop, take a deep breath and ask herself what she wants for once in her life.

xxx

"Freedom is nice and all, I just wish I could share it with someone, you know?" Piper muses one day while talking to Cal on the phone and vaguely wondering why on Earth he's the only friend she has left.

(The again calling Polly a friend after the other has essentially stolen her husband doesn't seem such a good idea, even if said husband wasn't all that prized.)

"Well, go out there and look for someone!" she hears from the other end of the phone, "You know you're not going to find Prince Charming while you mope on the couch and watch Game of Thrones, wishing you actually had the sex life of the characters, right?"

Piper chuckles at the joke, idly twirling a lock of blonde hair around her index finger as she muses over his words. She vaguely wonders since when is Cal of all people capable of giving good advice.

"You know what, you might be right." She offers in the end as she opens whatever app she's downloaded and searches for a nice bar where she can find said Prince Charming.

xxx

Piper has never considered the idea of a _Princess_ Charming.

All her life she has been a good little girl with neat hair and good grades. And good girls didn't fuck other girls.

However, when she sees the waitress in a bar called Enigma (no one has a sense of originality in the 21st century), she wonders why the hell not.

Alex Vause, as the name tag, so promptly suggests, is definitely princess worthy in Piper's eyes.

Vause's tall and much curvier than she herself is but at this moment Piper has no time for being jealous because she's too busy staring in awe at the other.

Alex's long black hair contrasts sharply against milky pale complexion that is only accentuated by colourful and masterfully made tattoos. Piper can't really get a closer look at her since she's currently busy serving other clients, her quiet, slightly flirtatious laughter echoing in the small bar.

When she finally comes to take Piper's order, her lips stretch into a confident smirk, "How may I help you?"

Suddenly Piper feels as if she's thirteen and the quarterback has asked her out on a date and she has no idea what to say.

"I uh…margarita?" she asks sheepishly but fortunately the waitress doesn't seem all that horrified at her sudden lack of social skills.

She offers an amused grin that makes Piper flush a deep crimson colour.

"You don't visit such places very often, am I right?" she inquires, raising a perfectly shaped black eyebrow.

(Piper has to wonder how on Earth can such a simple action scream seduction more than anything Larry has done in the bedroom).

"Nope, I…I'm kind of new to the whole bar-kind of thing." She mumbles in response, mentally berating herself for acting like a school girl in front of her crush when she has just met the other and although Vause is incredibly hot, it's not like she looks too bad herself.

"Oh, I can tell," Alex responds as she pours the margarita and places an obscenely green slice of lime at the corner of the glass.

Piper accepts the drink and feels a bolt of electricity when their fingers brush together that she tries to attribute it to static electricity or whatever other explanation there can be.

They fall in silence and Piper has no idea what to say as her mind races in a thousand different directions, the only thing that they have in common is that they all include a certain raven haired waitress she's just met.

She can feel the other's studying, calculating gaze over her and it only makes her blush an even deeper shade of crimson.

"So, it only seems fair you tell me your name since you know mine." Vause says in the end and Piper can tell even without looking that the other's lips are stretched into a mischievous smirk.

"Piper Chapman." She shoots back, feeling inexperienced and awkward, unable to think of any witty response.

"That's a nice name," Vause muses, leaning in closer to Piper until they're only a few centimetres apart.

Piper wants to pull back and walk away and quite possibly never visit the damn bar again. She wants to go back at home and bury herself under a blanket of monotony and false pretense and call it a normal life.

She wants to meet another Larry, someone she can watch boring day time TV with and read pretentious vegan blog posts and pretend that's who she is and that's all there is to be.

And she almost does it, she almost pulls away but then she remembers what monotony and the so called security actually feel like. She remembers the countless empty hours wasted on dinners with Larry and Polly where they all talked forever and said nothing in the end.

And so, she doesn't pull back.

She leans in, looks up and sees Alex's beautiful face almost touch her own.

The other's eyes are a beautiful and unique shade, like everything else about her. A sea of turquoise, flecks of lime green contrasting sharply against a navy blue lumbar ring.

The cliché about getting lost in one's eyes comes to Piper's mind except this time, for once clichés sound true. As lost as she is, she actually feels something for the first time in years as a rush of adrenaline seems to quickly and swiftly spread and erase the routine she's built for herself and labeled it normalcy.

"My shift ends in an hour." Alex states and Piper finds herself instinctively nodding as she inhales the other's perfume which is different and exotic, nothing like the sweet, flowery scents she's used to buying herself.

For whatever reason the scent becomes synonymous with freedom to Piper.

xxx

A week after they're dating and although Piper sometimes berates herself about moving too fast and falling heads over heels over someone she's just met, one smile from Alex is all it takes to erase those pesky thoughts.

xxx

Alex literally changes everything about Piper's life, from the dull furniture in their home that she scoffs at, to the way she sees the world. Piper jokes about how her life can be divided into two segments: the before and after Vause but by the end of the day it doesn't feel like she's joking at all.

xxx

Alex does visit Nicky, even if it's only once in a while since the other firmly insists she lives her life and doesn't bother with her.

"So, tell me about that Piper girl you've met," the curly haired woman says with a playful look behind deep brown eyes and Alex can't help the smile tugging at her lips.

"Oooh, that face tells me she must be hot," Nicky points out with a knowing smirk, "She good in bed?"

Alex chuckles, the light sound that escapes her lips contrasting sharply against the dirty grey walls of visitation room and the overall forlorn atmosphere.

"She is," she replies, making Nicky clap in amusement and thus earning them both a stern look from one of the new guards who waves a finger in their direction.

"See, I always knew you had a thing for blondes," Nicky teases with a mischievous smirk that Alex has missed more than she could admit.

"She's amazing, Nicky," the noirette finds herself saying, blunt words escaping her lips before she can process them and stop herself.

The inmate's eyebrows shoot up in surprise and she lets out a small whistle sound that leaves the guard glaring.

"Damn, this girl must be good if she has you head over heels over her," she says, stretching out a hand and cupping Alex's fingers.

"She better appreciate you or she'll have trouble talking to a dangerous inmate from Litchfield," she threatens, making her friend laugh and shake her head at the childish antics that she's come to love over time.

"Yeah, she better," Alex concludes, "Cause I feel like this is more than just a fling."

And Nicky smiles at her, all the warmth of the world seemingly trapped between her chapped lips.

"I'm so happy for you, Vause," she says, voice sincere and uncharacteristically serious, "and kind of jealous as well."

"How are you and Lorna doing?" Alex finds herself asking, the image of the petite Italian American girl with the brightest red lipstick she's ever seen, flashing before her eyes.

"Oh, we're great. Yesterday we had sex in this new shitty greenhouse they've built," Nicky admits as mischief glistens behind her eyes, "You should have seen Red's face when she found us!"

The noirette chuckles at the mental image of Red busting them and giving a lecture against improper behaviour and the obsession with sex.

"Seriously, though I'm kind of jealous you and Piper-girl get to have all the sex you want out in the open," Nicky muses and Alex can see the sadness and the bits of anger, masterfully hidden behind her trademark witty comments.

"You will be out too," she points out, surprised at how much more compassionate she's become, "And Lorna too and then we can have double dates."

"Or you know swinging," Nichols teases, wiggling her thin, blonde eyebrows suggestively and with that all the tension dissipates and for a second Alex even forgets she's visiting the other in jail of all places.

The guard's loud bark about visitation time being over drags them back to reality with a sharp thug and they exchange one last long look.

"You should keep blondie," Nicky advises as she gets up to leave, "She makes you more… I don't know – happy I guess. But it's not just that, she makes you seem more alive and secure, seems to be something like an anchor or some shit for you."

Alex chuckles at the poor use of a metaphor but still nods because the more she thinks about it on her way home, the more she realizes how truthful the words are.

xxx

Days roll by and turn into weeks and Alex finds herself falling into a familiar rhythm. They wake up in the morning, either at her crappy place or Piper's, attempt to make pancakes which usually results into a lot of wasted milk and eggs as neither of them seems to possess the talent of cooking.

Then they spend the day together if they have a night shift or if it's a day one in Piper's case, spend it in leisure chats filled with smirking emoticons, making countless references that not so subtly lead one's imagination to the bedroom.

xxx

"You ever miss your previous life?" Piper asks one evening, after they've watched the latest season of The Flash (because apparently superheroes are thing now and Alex has missed on that while being away).

"What do you mean?" she asks, propping herself on her elbow, "I sure as hell do not miss Litchfield."

Piper bites her lip and Vause muses how it should be an offence too look this cute when the other's wearing summer pajamas, dirty hair thrown into a lazy bun. Still she looks picture perfect and Alex soon finds her imagination travelling to certain places as her turquoise eyes plunge down the other's neckline.

"I don't mean Litchfield," the blonde responds, waving a hand dismissively, "I mean your previous life. You know the one where you were part on an international drug cartel and you slept in a different country every week."

Piper pauses, uncertainty flashing through light blue eyes before finishing, "With a different girl too."

Alex muses over the words as countless flashbacks come to life before her eyes. She remembers all of it as if it was yesterday, she remembers the ancient European cities, contrasting starkly against the miserable faces of the people she recruited, desperate for money and thrill, desperate for an escape of the grey routine they'd cornered themselves in without thinking.

At the same time, it feels as if it was a different life time and a different her, one she knows is still there, still a part of her. And yet she feels disconnected to that reality, almost as if she's read about in between the pages of beaten down books as a way to cope with reality in Litchfield.

"I hope this isn't a test for my parole," Alex jokes with a trained smirk because humor is easy and it doesn't bound you to one place, it's an easier alternative to saying what you really want to say.

"Relax, I'm not a cop," Piper retorts with a light chuckle before adding, "Unless you want me to be."

The noirette chuckles at her somewhat sloppy way of flirting and teasing, at her half ass innuendos that she finds herself slowly falling in love with, much like with everything else about the other.

The room is quiet, the atmosphere soaked in silence that reeks of familiarity. Alex closes her eyes and reels in it, the sense of security and warmth blossoming in her chest every time the other is around.

Because Piper is more than an adventure, she's more than the countless nameless girls across the globe she's been with. There's more to the sex and the moans are coloured with something other than lust, even if Alex is not ready to name it yet.

"I do miss it," she responds in the end, "The thrill, the adrenaline of surviving another day without being the caught."

The blonde doesn't say anything and she takes it as an invitation to continue.

"I miss the travelling, meeting people I've never met before each day and seeing places I've read about in books since I was nine years old."

Piper listens to her words closely, mouth agape. She looks like a child listening to fairytales about monsters and princesses, her imagination painting pictures of places she's never been to before.

Alex continues and tells her all sorts of stories as the night crawls by and her own husky voice and the occasional laughter and snort or small remark from Piper is the only thing that pierces the peaceful silence that has fallen over the city.

In the end a small frown lingers dangerously over Piper's features and Alex can't help but cup her face and ask, "What's wrong?"

"Are you sure you won't get bored with me?" the blonde inquires and Vause can see insecurity flashing behind the other's grey-blue eyes once again.

"I mean, I can't offer you travelling and car chases," Piper points out, voice diplomatic, "I can't offer much of a thrill when all my life has been nothing but boredom badly hidden as normalcy until I met you."

The corners of Alex's lips curl into a genuine smile at the words and the familiar feeling of warmth washes over her.

"I've had more than enough car chases for a life time," she muses as her slender fingers dance across the other's smooth cheek.

"And the thing about thrill is, it's not just about selling drugs and car chases and sex with strangers," Alex goes on and her hushed words echo across the small apartment.

"You can find thrill in everyday life, in a glass of margarita on a cold autumn day, in the presents someone puts under the crappy, plastic Christmas tree you've bought at Walmart-"

Piper interrupts her speech with a soft chuckle that Alex makes sure to remember it and put in a box somewhere at the back of her mind and replay every time the world seems grey.

"Or sex with someone that you know's going to be there in the morning," Alex continues as their eyes cross for a moment that lingers too long before they lock their lips.

Piper's hands travel down the side of her cheap T-shirt while her own explores the other's torso and then plunge down, tugging at the string of her lacy pajama shorts and prying a small moan from the other.

"You can find thrill in another person, Piper." Alex concludes and she doesn't need to say anything more as she leans in over the other and makes their bodies one.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Thanks to: _JessTerr, Guest, crazykrew, Guest, PauliCN7, izzielg, prooffice, mintgreenclarity, HurricaneDrella, WB79_

 _JessTerr_ , you made my day because that was my favourite line while I was writing too! :)

You are all awesome for reviewing and supporting this story and your feedback is very much appreciated!

What did you think of Alex and Piper meeting and the relationship they start building together?

Maybe I should point out that even though the last paragraphs might have felt kind of like an end of the story, this won't be the final chapter as I do plan to write a little something more. Writing this story has proven to be very enjoyable to me, even though it's kind of different in terms of style than my other works.

(Not to even mention I simply can't help myself but explore the Vauseman magic a bit more!)

Thanks for reading and please review!


	6. Picture Perfect Not

**We Never Met**

 **Chapter 6: Picture Perfect Not**

 **Summary:** Piper Chapman never went to the bar where she met Alex. She never smuggled drugs across Europe, nor did she think about females. No, she was straight, rational and most importantly _innocent_ Piper all her life. She never met Alex Vausse and never fell in love. Vauseman

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Orange Is the New Black

* * *

In those fleeting moments of introspection Piper can't say life's really perfect. It's not the fairytale she's imagined when she was a kid and there's no happily ever after except the one she and Alex are building day by day.

And it's not like they're rich or successful, they don't have glamorous careers or any sort of memorable contribution to society.

However, Piper finds herself smiling daily, even if it's over the most simple and ordinary things. Such as the first time they successfully prepare a lasagne together or when Alex wears the lacy burgundy dress that contrasts against milky pale skin and accentuates soft curves, making Piper's imagination travel to places she's never been to when she was Larry's pride possession.

They go on long walks in the park and Alex tells her all about the countless adventures she's been on most of which go beyond the sphere of what is legal.

"You should see Rome in full bloom in the spring, it's one of the most memorable sights," the noirette points out during conversations which Piper never wants to end.

She tells her about strolling down the warm streets of Rome that smell of dried tomatoes and home-made pizza. She tells her about the way sunny yellow lemons contrast against the bright blue sky in the gardens of Portugal and how the mere sight of the colourful houses of Spain puts you in a good mood.

"Come on, close your eyes and imagine it!" Alex insists as they lie together in bed on one hot day in mid-June, with open windows because the AC isn't working again.

Piper closes her eyes and she can almost see it, she can almost smell foreign spices mixed with the smell of peculiar wines and sea salt.

And it's magical, the world finally coming to life before her eyes once she meets Alex, once she for once lets wildness and adventure creep up the corners of her world and let them paint her routine in bold splashes of colour.

Piper feels as if she was colour blind before she met the magic that she refers to as Alex.

xxx

"I want to travel the world with you," Chapman finds herself saying one lazy June afternoon when they're having a picnic in the park, enjoying the colourful sunset.

"Yeah, you should tell that to my boss," Alex snorts, amusement flashing behind turquoise eyes, "You know, urge him to raise my salary."

Piper chuckles as she leans in closer to the other, cupping her pale face with slender fingers, "We'll find a way."

"You're ever the romantic," Alex points out, their faces only inches apart. Piper can feel her warm breath, which smells of wine, dancing over her lips.

"Only with you,' she responds and the two chuckle over the cliché words before locking their lips together.

The kiss feels like familiarity and adventure combined into one and Piper can't help but let a moan slip from her parted lips once Alex's hand travels down to her neck and caresses her collar bone before plunging lower.

"Hey, let's keep this PG 13, they're kids around," she warns once they break the kiss and she looks to her left, pointing at the various kids running around, chasing kites or playing ball, the very definition of carefree.

Alex only smirks at her words, eyes filled with mischief and suggestion that Piper simply can't overlook.

"They've seen more on cable anyway," she jokes but still pulls her hand away before wrapping it around her shoulder and pulling her closer.

Piper snuggles against Alex, inhaling her smell which has somehow become synonymous not only with freedom but home over the course of the months they've spent together. When a cooler breeze comes along and plays with her hair, effectively making her shiver a bit, she snuggles closer and appreciates the warmth pouring from her lover.

"It's a beautiful sunset," Alex observes and Piper muses how she possess some sort of superpower to make the most ordinary of words sound exciting and enthralling in her husky, low voice.

The sunset is beautiful, a myriad of oranges and reds blended together to create a memorable canvas contrasting against the vivid greens of the trees.

"It is but I bet it will look even better from our bedroom window," Piper jokes as she offers a suggestive look to Alex.

The noirette chuckles and Piper makes sure to memorize her laughter and play it on repeat when she's at work because it sounds like the embodiment of lazy summer afternoons.

xxx

They do travel, visiting cheap motels with creaking floors and lukewarm water. Sometime cockroaches run across the rooms and make Piper scream while Alex merely laughs in amusement, equipped with a shoe in her hand.

Still, it's the best they can afford, along with inexpensive flights to Europe that they snag in the last moment.

And it's not glamorous, it's nothing like the overtly sweet romances they sometimes watch on TV, snuggled together underneath the cheap covers they buy at Walmart.

Still, Piper finds herself feeling alive and life is good, even if it's not picture perfect and they don't own the pretty house with a white picket fence in the suburbs.

She finds herself straying further and further away from the house in the suburbs because in comparison to life with Vause it looks like little more than a derelict overpriced building.

xxx

They visit Italy and Spain and Portugal. And then they visit Greece and Bulgaria and Romania and Piper makes crappy pictures and even collages with hot pink hearts and smiley faces and Alex merely laughs at her because who on earth uses Paint these days anyway?

"Heey, it's the best I can do!" the blonde argues with a blush over her cheeks, "Plus, it's the effort that counts, right?"

Vause can't argue with that. She pulls her in for a quick kiss as they're strolling down the streets of Albania, the last sun rays painting everything gold.

Despite travelling through Europe more times than she can count, it feels as if she steps foot for the first time, as if she's never seen any of it till now. Grey buildings and paved streets come to life and suddenly small coffee shops and derelict bus stops look like the best thing in the world.

Alex has to wonder why this is but the answer isn't far away, it is standing right next to her.

xxx

"Do you think there's some alternate reality version of us out there?" Piper ponders on one warm August day as she uses a homemade fan made out of Sunday's crossword as her last chance of salvation from the heat.

Alex looks up from the book she's reading and raises one devious eyebrow. Piper has to wonder how such a simple gesture can convey so much emotion.

"What have you been reading this time?" the noirette chuckles but still puts the book aside and gives her an inviting look.

Piper sits next to her, inhaling the smell of inexpensive perfume mixed in with wine, "The usual. But I was really wondering – what if I met you earlier for example?"

The noirette purses her lips and Piper can recognize _that_ look, the look where the gears start turning in her lover's pretty head.

"Yeah, I do think there's some other reality. Maybe we met earlier. Maybe you became a part of the organization and helped me smuggle drugs."

"Oh, I would be very good at being dangerous," Piper says as she puts on a supposedly dangerous face.

Alex breaks out into a melodic laughter and shakes her head, "Nah, you would be terrible at it."

"No, I wouldn't!" the blonde cries out in defence, "I would totally be like a criminal boss in no time!"

"Oh, really?" Alex demands, mocking surprise.

"Yes, absolutely. I would take over that Kubra guy in no time!"

"Would love to see that play out," The noirette chuckles, amusement flashing behind turquoise eyes.

"Oh, yeah I would totally be "gangsta"." Piper says, waving an index finger before Alex's face in some lousy attempt of a felon impersonation, "With an "a" at the end."

This time Vause can no longer hold it together and bursts out laughing, almost knocking off her glass of wine from the table.

Piper breaks her act as well and roars with laughter.

"You would be like the worst criminal in world history," Alex points out, "You'd end up in jail in not time."

"Oooh, but then we would be together in jail," Piper coos in a mockingly sweet tone, "That would so romantic! It would totally be worth a TV show!"

The noirette scoffs, shaking her head, "There's nothing romantic about jail, trust me."

"Oh, come on – we'd be like Bonnie and Clyde!" the shorter woman muses, dreamy expression painted over face, "Partners in love and crime."

Alex chuckles, "Yeah, and sharing the bathrooms with like fifty other chicks. Not to mention – this one time I had to draw my eyeliner with a marker."

Piper makes a weirded out expression, trying to imagine a thick black line of marker over the other's lids

"Yeah, you should try doing that sometime."

"Mmm, that your idea of hot?" Alex inquires as she leans in closer, catching Piper's lips against her own.

Chapman responds to the kiss eagerly, almost as if the conversation's been taking too long. Then again talking with Alex is never boring or repetitive. There's always something to say, something to point out or admit or laugh over.

"You're my idea of hot," she says as they part the kiss, Alex's still leaning over her and they're sprawled over the couch.

"You're so cheesy," the noirette rolls her eyes but judging by the fact that she takes off her top, Chapman knows she likes her just like that.

Absentmindedly they both muse over how regardless of how they met, they were meant to be.

(Cheesy clichés be damned because they may as well be the embodiments of one of them.)

xxx

Alex makes time pass faster and Piper has to remind herself about that quote how time speeds up when you're enjoying yourself although she has no idea where she read it.

It doesn't matter though; books were never written to be studied but to be felt and life with the noirette seems almost novel worthy to her.

xxx

The sex is amazing and memorable and Piper has to wonder since when she's started describing what she does in bed as memorable but that's the case.

It's sometimes slow with lazy kisses spattered over pale skin and soft touches all over her torso and thighs. It's sometimes fast and sloppy, Alex's lips exploring every inch of her, neck and breasts and down under, landing between her thighs before she has the chance to know what's going on.

But it's perfect regardless and she moans and pants and gasps and Alex merely raises a devious eyebrow as a lazy smirk spreads across her lips and the fact that the other is capable of looking so calm, composed and in control during sex of all things in the world makes Piper go over the edge.

xxx

The sex as amazing but it's not all there is, it's a fraction of their relationship, something they do on a seemingly endless Sunday afternoon and then in the morning (number one reason they're late for work) and during the night and even that one time in the park.

Piper has to wonder if perhaps sex is good because for the first time in her life it means something more than doing what society says.

xxx

Piper gets to visit the infamous Litchfield.

Not as an inmate, fortunately. She goes to visit it hand in hand with Alex during visitation hours as a tiny Italian American girl with pretty curls and another taller girl with lush blonde hair and pretty brown eyes await for them.

She recognizes them, the famous Lorna and Nicky from Alex's story.

"Hey, there Vause and blondie," Nichols cries out from the end of the visitation room and they head over to them.

Piper pulls up a chair awkwardly, the entire scene before her feeling surreal. Never in a thousand years would she expect to visit prison out of all things.

Alex opts for a hug as Nicky wraps her hands around her, murmuring a _"I've missed you so much."_ that sounds like one of most sincere things said in prison.

Before she can introduce herself the curly haired girl pulls her into an embrace as well and Lorna goes into a soft "aww," before joining in.

"No touching!" one of the guard barks and they reluctantly break off the impromptu group hug.

Piper stands there incredulous, giving Nicky a sheepish look.

"That was for looking after Vause out there, instead of me," the curly haired inmate explains with a bright smile.

"Oh…yeah I did that," Chapman murmurs and offers a sheepish smile.

"So you've never been to prison before?" Lorna chimes in as they sit down.

"Nope, it's uh my first time around," Piper explains with a nervous chuckle as her eyes dart from one direction to another, taking in the inmates and the stark grey walls of the room.

She understands why Alex befriended the two now, they seem by far the friendliest from the bunch.

"Like what you see," her girlfriend chuckles and Piper can feel her cheeks heat up.

"Well, I mean at least the people aren't so bad," she jokes, casting a look in Nicky and Lorna's direction who mirror her smile.

They quickly fall into a friendly banter, talking about everything and nothing in particular. Piper has to admit this isn't what she expected from inmates. Then again she's never been in situation like this before, having lived all her life by the rules, away from places like this. All her live she's lived the liberal dream, she's played the part of the pretty girl from the upper middle class.

And as much as Piper would have wanted to deny it, she'd look from above on inmates any day. But that was before Alex. That was before she gave up on the white picket fence fantasy and life with Larry.

Now she's different and she's learnt not to judge and really look at people and not the stereotypes society's built for them.

"Got to admit, Pipes, you're certainly friendlier than what I expected," Nicky points out with a melodic chuckle.

"And even blonder," Lorna jokes and Piper doesn't miss the way her fingers intertwine with Nicky's and the small looks and smiles they exchange.

"Wait, are we on a double date, right now?" Alex chimes in and they burst into laughter, earning themselves another warning glare from the guard. (Nicky then proceeds to make a goofy impersonation of him behind his back).

"This has got to be like the first double date in the history of Litchfield."

xxx

Visiting Nicky and Lorna becomes a monthly ritual, sometimes even bi-weekly. Piper befriends them both, finding Nichols's bluntness and unique sense of humour refreshing while enjoying Lorna's beauty advices and her idealistic outlook on the world that reminds her of times long gone. (Or perhaps of times that never really happened outside of the pages of old books).

"Just take care of Vause, Chapman," Nicky warns one day, raising a finger as if in threat, "Or else you'll face Nicky Nichols's wrath."

"Don't worry, I have no intention of letting her get away," Piper assures and she leans in, locking her lips with Vause.

She can feel Alex smiling against the kiss and that makes her mirror the gesture while Lorna goes "aww" at them.

A discussion on where they should have their first " _legitimate double date_ " once they're out of Litchfield follows.

Piper shakes her head – she can't believe what her life has become but she has to admit she quite likes it this way.

(Even if it's the polar opposite of the idealistic scenario she had installed in her head a lifetime ago).

xxx

Alex feels complete in some strange way that she's never felt before. It's a peculiar brand of happiness, one she has no words to describe. It's not like the rush of adrenaline she'd felt before when she travelled through Europe and sold drugs. It's not like the satisfaction she felt from sex in the earlier days, when she had a different girl each night.

And it's not like the high from drugs, her only loyal companion in life before Piper.

It's starkly different and she's not entirely sure what it is. She knows it must be love but she's never felt it before.

All she knows is it's a feeling much better than drugs even if she's become addicted to it as well. It's a warm feeling before she falls asleep, one of contempt and security like she's never felt before mixed in with the dose of adrenaline she gets every time the other's near.

xxx

Piper feels like an expert on the concept of love, having read all about it old books and shitty liberal blogs that embody the Internet these days.

In practice though love is different, it's not the picture perfect ideal that she's heard about in cheesy country songs. She and Alex fight and money is one very real and big and scary issue. They argue and they sometimes hurt each other and you don't really hear about that part in the love songs.

And yet she wouldn't have it any other way.

xxx

Piper has read about how love's in the little things before. Now she knows it from personal experience.

It's in the fact that Alex rolls up her sleeves and she puts eyeliner like a ritual. It's in the way she raises an eyebrow in almost devious manner and the way she smirks like a professional player of poker.

It's in the way Alex loves to read, pale face buried in heavy books. The look over her face when she's lost in a good book, that look where it seems as if she's in another world, travelling along with the characters and fighting their wars and winning their victories.

And Piper, for all her cold and her inability to feel anything before Alex (well, anything than what society deems as right) suddenly finds herself telling that.

"I love you," and it's such a simple statement, three words, eight letters and it's not grand or dramatic, sweet or cheesy or anything like it is in the movies.

Alex is naked, light blue towel wrapped around her chest and another towel over her head. And she's reading that day while she waits to air-dry in one of the last hot summer days.

The noirette lips curl into a smile and it's a genuine one, not a smirk, not a smile like those in the movies, maybe a smile like the ones she's read about in books.

"I love you too," Alex responds, words rolling off her tongue the way they should have months ago.  
She has to wonder why she didn't say it sooner when it's all she's wanted to say to the other.

xxx

Life with Alex isn't perfect or a fairytale or even a shitty show on Netflix but it's all Piper wants at this point.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** So, the story is complete! What are your thoughts on the final chapter and Alex and Piper settling in together?

I wanted to make it somewhat realistic and point out their life together still won't be perfect but they're happy together and I hope I managed to convey that.

Shout out to: _mielsita, Guest, JessTerr, izzielg, prooffice, PauliCN7, Guest, mintgreenclarity, FaeCym_ – thank you so much reviewing and sharing your thoughts!

Also, I want to thank everyone who read the story and especially the people who took from their time to give me feedback – your words keep me motivated and mean so much!

Btw I just finished watching Season 4 and would love to hear your thoughts about it!

 **(Spoilers:)** I personally think it was an enthralling season but it was soo dark and heavy (the writers really weren't kidding). I am SO happy Nicky's back, she's one of my favourite characters!

But I hated the fact that she's not back with Morello who can't get over that random Vincent guy (who called her crazy on top of everything else smh).

And we got to have Vauseman back although I could never have enough of them! Still, I liked that they took it slow and built up their relationship once again and I can't way to see how that progresses into Season 5 which is soo far.

What did you think of Season 4?

I'm thinking of writing something that sets off after the finale, would you like to read something of the likes (With lots of Vauseman, Nickorello, protective Red and everyone dealing with what happened)?

Please review and share your thoughts!


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